back that thang up

As I arrived to class this morning, a little late as usual, I saw something that bothered me.

I always, ALWAYS parallel park on the side of the building, underneath the trees. There are (almost) always spaces here, and you don't have to have a sticker, AND it's perfectly legal with easy access to the Stone Center.

This morning, however, my attention was diverted to a Ford Focus. There is a nice long stretch of places to park, and Mr. or Ms. Focus was (I should only hope inadvertently) taking up about THREE of them.

I absolutely cannot stand it when someone feels the need to double park, park too close, too sideways, or not far enough in. If said Focus would have just pulled a little closer to the end of the line, or a little closer to the law abiding Malibu behind, another car could have easily fit in there!

But no. You pull around the side of the building, get excited because you see a normally great park, and...no, wait. There is just enough room so that you can't park there. It's sort of like when you are cruising the parking spaces at Wal-Mart, and you get that little flutter of excitement because you see a really great front park, and oh my gosh, why didn't the car in front of me pull in there? and this is just my luck and you put on your blinker because you want everyone to know that you are Lord or Lady of the Lot and that this is your space, and then - it's a teeny, tiny, sports car, pulled all the way to the line, sandwhiched between a Suburban and a Tahoe, fooling you into thinking there isn't really a car parked there. Damn!

Or it's kind of like the inevitable rule that once you give up and park in the back and decidem "Hey, I need the exercise anyway," you are almost taken out by a car leaving a front row park who can't get out of there faster. Honestly. I have had those moments where I wonder if I can still make it back to my car to pull it up closer (which is stupid), or if I a random passerby, I have been tempted to say, "You there - stand here and guard this spot whilst I pull the Cavvy around!" (Which is more stupid - but I have actually done it at the University of Alabama at the music hall...)

Anyway, I digress. Everyone have a great day and a fabulous Easter weekend.

sweet sixteens & charmed thirds

My cousin just turned sixteen this past week, and they had a big party for her on Saturday. Let me just say, when I turned sixteen, I don't think I did ANYTHING. Not one thing. I may have had some friends over, but that's about it. (On that note, oh how I miss the sleepovers we used to have at my house when I was in high school. Such fun!!)

Anyway, I'm digressing. My aunt threw her a big soiree for her sweet sixteen. She and all her friends wore formal dresses and boys wore dress clothes and ties and such - how adorable! Not only that, but there was a decent spread of food, a DJ, and...a chocolate fountain! My sister had a chocolate fountain at her wedding, for goodness sakes! Granted, this one was a little smaller, but a chocolate fountain nonetheless! Throw in Jude Law and giant pile of shoes, and you've got heaven for me in a nutshell! Literally - instead of of the land of milk and honey, I long for a place where the chocolate flows freely and I can run through it ankle-deep in my strappy slingback sandals...well, maybe not. That doesn't exactly sound sanitary, now does it?

Anyway, once again I have lost myself to a tangent. Damn those things! The only thing better than the chocolate fountain was the opportunity to see pre-pubescent (okay, in-the-midst pubescent) 15- and 16-year old white kids attempt to dance. There was one signature move, a throwback to the Hustle and the Snoop Dogg "Drop It Like It's Hot" move. Some of the kids seriously should have dropped it. Seriously. It was the funniest thing I have seen in about two weeks. And there is always that one Mom who feels the need to break it down with the kids. She was literally rubbing her "lady lumps" all over some 16-year-old kids that could barely handle his own lumps, let alone hers. THEN the highlight of the evening - a kid who liked to call himself "Times Two" and apparently had a CD out with the new hits "Something Something Booty" (I can't remember the first two words) and "How U Luv That." He took the stage by storm singing, "Alright, let's go, go get drunk, go get high..." etc., etc. Shortly after, he was removed from the mic. Needless to say, the grandparents and parents in the crowd did NOT "Luv That." Apparently, Time Two got multiplied by Zero. Those of you out there who are mathematicians know what that means....you get nothin'.

Another bit of excitement that night...I locked my keys in my car at the Mellow Mushroom. It was an accident - I swapped purses, but carried the other one with me in the car (this is my trick - I carry only what I need in the little one, but I drag my giant saddle bag along and keep it in the car.) I forgot what I was doing and I was a little bit of recon-work on my hair and makeup, and slipped the keys into my other purse. Lucky enough, the Oxford police were nice enough to come and help me out. Other than that, i don't wanna talk about it...

I was in a mood this afternoon, so I got in my car and just started driving. Everyone has their vices when they are depressed, etc. what have you. Mine? Books. That's right. I drove down to the Books a Million in Oxford and delighted myself in buying two new books. I spent waaay too much on a book I have been waiting on for a reaaaally long time, and then I bought another that just looked good.

The book I have been waiting on, Charmed Thirds, is third in a series of books by Megan McCafferty. These books are absolutely HILARIOUS. Seriously. They are published on an adult label to reach beyond the young adult masses, but they are young adult books. However, they are deliciously different in that they deal with much more mature subject matter, at least in a different way. I loved the first two, Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings and I have been read for this book. It wasn't supposed to come out til tomorrow, but imagine my elation when i happened upon it by accident. I almost collided with a display for the Da Vinci code books (another one that i would like to pick up..along with A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. I'm an Oprah's Book Club whore ) and libros de espanol (Spanish titles).

The other book I bought is Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin, I think is her name. It's about a girl who was always the good girl, until her best friend throws her a big thirtieth bday bash, after which she gets really drunk and sleeps with her best bud's fiancee - oops! Can't wait to read this one...